Sudbury police chief hopes oversight changes come soon

Greater Sudbury's police chief says he is welcoming measures to make police forces, and their oversight bodies, more accountable.

Ontario will publish the details of every police-involved fatality dating back to 1990 when the Special Investigations Unit was established following a major report into police oversight in the province.

The goal is to increase public confidence and make the system more effective, transparent and accountable.

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Chief Paul Pederson says he hopes those changes come into effect soon.

"We had the opportunity to discuss some of our concerns," Pedersen said.

"And I know we've been on record as saying we believe, along with so much of the public, that our oversight structure and our systems of accountability need to be modernized. And so the release of this document is something we welcome."

Report recommends investigators release more information, sooner

"Never more so in the history of policing than right now is public trust so important," Pedersen said. "And we know that we can't get public trust, if the public doesn't trust that the agencies that oversee us are also legitimate."

Justice Michael Tulloch's report also says there is a need for oversight investigators to provide much more information to the public.

He recommends they release details of their investigations, including evidence and exact reasons they decided not to lay charges.

Ontario's attorney general has already adopted several of the recommendations, including the immediate release of details from all past oversight investigations of officers.